GAO May 16, 2023

More than 60 million Americans—about one-fifth of the U.S. population—live in rural areas. On average, rural residents are older and generally have worse health conditions than urban residents. But while they may require more medical attention and care, they also might have more limited access to health care.

Today’s WatchBlog post looks at both changes and challenges in rural health care access, as highlighted in our latest Health Care Capsule.

Hospital closures and higher risks

Having a local hospital or access to care is critical in an emergency situation where minutes can make a big difference. But we’ve found that many rural residents are seeing their local hospital close. More than 100 (or 4% of) rural hospitals closed from 2013...

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